WESSEX

Historians still debate exactly where the ancient Kingdom of Wessex started. Most probably there was an earlier kingdom of that name in the upper Thames valley somewhere around Oxford, but the name was later applied to a kingdom which had started life on the shores of Hampshire, and absorbed part of the former. The situation was later confused by the novels of the nineteenth-century author Thomas Hardy, whose 'Wessex' was based largely in the county of Dorset. For the sake of the American visitor, the area can be thought of as falling into the South-East, South, South West, and the Channel Islands.

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South-East

The counties of Kent, Surrey and Sussex make up this area, the first two also falling under the definition of the southern Home Counties. Kent was the first Anglo-Saxon kingdom to become established after the Romans left, followed swiftly by Sussex. As this area is nearest to continental Europe, they have been subject more than any other area to European influences. Strange, then, that Kent (nickname 'the Garden of England') is regarded as one of the most quintessentially English of counties. This area is subject to great pressures for building, as many London workers want to live 'in the country'. Although used to seeing foreigners from Europe slipping in and out (most often illegally in), the area is little visited by Americans, which is a shame as it has much to offer. To appreciate this area you need to be prepared to step off the tourist trail (although Canterbury is well worth a visit) and take to the minor roads. Romney Marsh (Kent) is another world. The south coast is sometimes called the Golden Coast, because so many elderly people retire there. Many resorts are of poor quality, although Brighton (Sussex) might be worth a visit for its sheer tackiness. .

South

The counties of Hampshire (with the Isle of Wight), Wiltshire and Berkshire are sort of betwixt and between when it comes to defining the areas of England. Berkshire just about sums it up; one end is the royal residence of Windsor Castle and the other is racehorse country around Lambourn. Wiltshire is at the crossroads between the midlands, south-west and south. Again this is primarily commuterland, and you'll have to take to the lesser roads to see the best of it. Like the South-East it is one of the richer areas of England, and its people get tired of other areas complaining about how badly off they are. Hampshire people are nicknamed 'Hogs'; nothing to do with a plastic surgery requirement, it reflects their quiet but furious resistance when pushed. Again, the area is little visited by American tourists, although in days gone by Southampton was the main port for transatlantic liners. Stonehenge is here, currently getting a much-needed facelift and an even more much-needed by-pass. The site has been there for over 12,000 years; the people who live in this area just seem like they have.

South-West

My definition of this area includes Dorset, Somerset and Devonshire, but not Cornwall, which is covered on the Anglo-Celtic Fringe page. The area is also called the West Country. Between the sixth and ninth centuries, the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex expanded steadily westwards at the expense of the British kingdom of Dumnonia, whose name was later corrupted to Devonshire. However, expansion stopped at the river Tamar between about 786 and 936, and the intervening century and a half allowed the remaining Britons in what is now Cornwall to solidify their identity. Cornishmen say of Devon that the only good thing about that county if the fast roads that enable you to get through to Cornwall; the Devonians retort that the only good thing about Cornwall is that you have to go through Devon to get there. The geography is different here; hillier and with smaller villages and hamlets. The roads are also much more crowded in summer, although again the area is little visited by Americans. People too seem slower, but are quite able to get you and your car hopelessly lost in their system of country lanes in a surprisingly short time.

Channel Islands

Sited just off the French coast, this range of small islands is, like the Isle of Man, British but not part of the United Kingdom. They are a leftover from the 1066 invasion of England by William Duke of Normandy; the Norman dukes owned the islands as a personal holding, and after the loss of English lands in France the islands somehow remained. They are famous (or infamous) for being the only part of the country to be occupied by the Germans during World War Two, which the islanders quite naturally don't like to be reminded of. The government of the island consists of two bailiwicks; Guernsey (only that island) and Jersey (Jersey and all the other islands). I've not been there yet, but friends who have say they're wonderful.